(Bloomberg) -- The US and China had a rare meeting regarding nuclear arms control as Washington urges Beijing to disclose more information about its growing nuclear capabilities.
Officials from the two nuclear powers on Monday took part in a “candid and in-depth” discussion about arms control and nonproliferation, the State Department said in a statement on Tuesday. The US emphasized the importance of greater transparency on the Chinese side and more communication on steps to reduce strategic risks including those in outer space, according to the statement.
The talks in Washington came before an expected meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week in San Francisco during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. That encounter will be closely watched for signs of improving ties between the world's two largest economies after tensions rose amid disputes, including over Taiwan and the passage of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the US early this year.
The nuclear talks in Washington on Monday, described by the US as “constructive,” were held between Mallory Stewart, assistant secretary of state for arms control, and Sun Xiaobo, who leads the Chinese foreign ministry's arms control department.
Last month, the Pentagon said in a congressionally mandated report that China had about 500 nuclear warheads this year and plans to have more than 1,000 by 2030, a buildup that was faster than expected. The US has some 3,700 nuclear warheads. China's foreign ministry said then the country was committed to peaceful development and has a stable and predictable nuclear policy.
The US is also anxious to head off a three-way nuclear arms race with Russia and China, especially with talks over extending the New Start treaty, which expires in 2026, stalled over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has roughly 4,500 nuclear warheads.
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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in June that the Biden administration was prepared to engage with Moscow on nuclear arms control, but the buildup of China's arsenal was complicating those efforts and had to be taken into account as the US modernizes its force.
The US and China have been working to stabilize relations this year, with officials from both countries traveling to meet their counterparts in recent months to help lay the groundwork for a meeting between Xi and Biden, who last met at the Group of 20 summit in Bali a year ago.
Xi is also expected to join a dinner with top US business executives during the visit, according to people familiar with the matter.
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